


In my Memories

by ashadowr



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Carla Yeager is a sweetheart, Cute Armin Arlert, Eremin - Freeform, Grisha is just gone, Hange Zoë & Levi Are Best Friends, Hange Zoë and Levi Ackerman are roommates, Jean and Mikasa are dating, Levi and Eren are neighbors, Levi is grumpy, M/M, Nice Eren Yeager, Non Binary Hange Zoe - Freeform, Platonic Hange Zoë & Levi, Suicide Attempt, armin and eren date, armin and eren kiss, armin is anxious, arminxeren, cute eremin, eren is kind, erenxarmin - Freeform, hange and eren are friends, jeankasa - Freeform, levi ackerman is short
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:21:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29443260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashadowr/pseuds/ashadowr
Summary: Eren spends most of his time indoors doing nothing but sleeping until one day his mother suggest he goes on a walk. He meets a sweet boy and they hit it off from there. They spend their time going on adventures and visiting with their grumpy neighbor Levi and his roommate Hange. Eren feels at his happiest and he thinks Armin is too, but Armin has a hidden secret.Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan or any of the characters. All of them were created by the creator of Attack on Titan Hajime Isayama.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This entire story will be told in Eren's perspective. I know some people like when we can see both but POVs but I'd like to keep some things a mystery ;)
> 
> This story will also talk about some sensitive topics and touchy subjects so I will put a TW at the beginning of each chapter that it applies to.

I groaned as I pulled the bed sheets above my head. I checked my clock showing that it was 12:47 in the afternoon. I guess that's what I get for spending all night playing video games. 

The soft pitter patter of the rain against my bedroom window brought me comfort. I guess I should get up, I thought to myself. I pushed myself up to a seat and threw on a t-shirt before heading downstairs. 

"Good afternoon sleepy head," My mother greeted me by ruffling my hair. 

I yawned and stretched while replying with "Good afternoon." 

"You shouldn't sleep your whole summer away," Mikasa added from the kitchen island where she was making a smoothie. 

"Not like there's anything to do anyway," I replied. 

"Sure there is. Why don't you go for a walk," My mom suggested. 

"But there's rain."

"That just adds to the fun," She said with that sweet smile of hers. 

I reluctantly agreed. I hadn't gotten out much at all in weeks. It'd probably be good for me. I slipped on a ripped pair of vans knowing damn well my socks would get soaked. I stepped outside and decided not to bring an umbrella. It always made my arm sore after a while. 

I walked out of the neighborhood and headed down the bike trail in between a forest of trees. It was usually crowded but because of the rain today it was empty. I enjoyed the quiet, hearing nothing but the rain spilling onto the trees and birds chirping in the distance. 

I groaned as I misplaced my foot into a deep puddle that left my entire shoe soaked. 

"Dammit," I cursed under my breath. 

Just then I noticed a stranger walking down the path in the opposite direction of me. He had bright blonde hair and was clutching his stomach. 

"Hey are you feeling alright," I stopped him. He jumped and looked at me. "You're clutching your stomach. I was just wondering if you were feeling alright." I clarified because of his confused expression. 

"Oh I just found this little guy," He said, opening up his palms to reveal a small bird. 

"Is he hurt?" I asked. He nodded, gingerly picking up his wing which appeared broken. 

"How do you plan on helping him?" I asked. I worried for a second, not wanting to come off as annoying with all these questions. 

He stood there for a moment, "I'm not sure actually" 

"Well my neighbor is a vet he may be able to help," I informed him. 

"Really?" His bright blue eyes filled with hope. 

"Yeah his house is just a short walk from here." I said and pointed in the direction the boy was already headed. 

"Okay," He replied. We began walking while he cupped the bird in his palm and shielded him from the rain with the other hand. 

"By the way I'm Eren Yeager. It's nice to meet you," I said after realizing that we didn't even introduce ourselves. The boy did appear to be about my age. 

"I'm Armin Arlert. It's nice to meet you too," He replied in a soft voice. It was almost hard to hear him over the sound of the rain. "You have pretty eyes," He blurted out. "Uh did I say that out loud?" 

I chuckled, "Thank you. I really like your eyes too. The blue eyes really pop against your blonde hair," I added. I could almost see a small blush forming across his cheeks when I heard a small "Thanks" from him. 

"Are you close with your neighbor?" Armin asked, making conversation. 

"A bit. He pays me to do some of the messy chores like mowing the lawn or cleaning up the garden. He doesn't like doing them so he just has me so them. Sometimes he'll invite me over for tea. I think he has a roommate but I've never met them," I replied. He nodded showing his understanding. The rest of the way we walked in a comfortable silence. Every once and a while I would hum a little tune. 

"Alright here we are," I walked up with Armin to my neighbor's front porch. I knocked on the door and hoped for a response. About a second I heard the click of the locks. 

"I don't have any chores for you today kid," He said. 

"Wait Levi you're a vet aren't you," I replied frantically. 

"Yes." He waited for me to continue. 

"Well my friend here found a wounded bird. We were wondering if you could help the little fellow," I pleaded. 

"You came here soaking wet with a wounded wild bird and you want me to help him," He clarified. I gave him a pleading grin. "Fine come in. But wipe your feet because I don't need you tracking any mud in here." We nodded and headed inside. We wiped our feet good before Armin handed the bird to levi. 

Levi gently held the bird's wing inspecting it. The bird was still. Clearly awake, but unable to move freely. 

"He should be fine, it just looks like a small fracture," Levi assured. 

I could see the relief in Armin's eyes after hearing Levi's words. Levi invited us to sit at the kitchen table while he helped the bird in another room. He told us we would be too much of a nuisance if we watched him work. 

"Is your neighbor always this grumpy," Armin whispered so Levi wouldn't hear. 

I laughed, "He's actually a nice guy, but he's got a tough exterior." I told him. 

"He's quite intimidating even for someone of his size," Armin said. 

"What about my size," Levi had appeared in the arch connecting the living room and the kitchen. Armin practically jumped in his seat. 

"I- I'm so sorry sir. Please forgive me," Armin stuttered. 

"I'm kidding, kid. Don't worry about it."

"Oh okay," Armin's voice was still shaky. 

Levi had the bird cupped in his hands.

"He'll be alright. I put a small bandage on his wing to stabilize it but there isn't much else I can do. He's a wild bird and things happen. Dying is just part of the life cycle. We can let him go and his chances of survival will be 50/50," Levi informed us. 

"I see," I said. 

Levi seemed to notice the saddening look in Armin's face. "You've done everything you can, so don't worry about it. I'm sure he's lived a good life. We'll let him go and who knows maybe he will live a nice life from the ground," Levi said. 

"Maybe," Armin whispered. 

We let the bird go. We set him down gently on the ground by the treeline in Levi's backyard. The bird got up and adjusted himself before waddling off. He hopped along with his feet and seemed content. 

"Look at that, even with a broken wing he can live a happy life." I said. Armin had a soft smile on his face as he watched the little bird hop along the treeline. I turned around to face Levi. "Thank you for helping us. I owe you one," I said.

"Tsk, yes you do," Levi responded. I chuckled. "You two should get home. It's starting to rain fairly hard and you don't want to catch a cold," Levi told us. 

"Ok. See you around!" I waved bye to Levi as Armin and I headed back to the sidewalk. 

"Do you consider me a friend?" Armin asked. It was an unexpected question and I wasn't sure how to respond. "Well when we went to see Levi you introduced me as your friend."

"I know we just met but you seem like a really sweet person I wouldn't mind being friends with. Plus it would be a little odd if I showed up and told Levi I just met this stranger," I chuckled and he laughed. 

"Well hopefully I'll see you again sometime," Armin said. 

"Yeah that'd be nice. My place is this way, so I'm gonna head home," I pointed to the left. 

"My house is this way." Armin pointed in the opposite direction. "I guess this is where we part ways. Get home safe," He smiled. 

"You too," I replied. 

—

"Did you have a nice walk? You were out for a while," my mom said. 

"Yeah it was nice but now I'm all wet," I chuckled. 

My mom handed me a towel that I used to dry off my hair. I went upstairs to go get changed. 

"You were out for quite a long time," Mikasa said.

"Yeah," I replied, not wanting to get into details. 

"Were you hooking up with a girl or something?" She asked. 

I laughed, "No of course not. I was just out taking a walk, relax." 

"Alright." Unconvinced, she went back into her room.

I chuckled under my breath. I honestly wasn't that interested in girls, but that's a conversation we could save for later. 

As I laid in bed with my wet mop of hair on my pillow, I couldn't help but think about Armin. I hoped to run into him again. 

—

The next morning I was up at 9 and went downstairs soon after that. 

"You're up early," My mother said to me. 

"Yeah I guess I fell asleep early last night."

"By early do you mean 2am," Mikasa chimed in. 

I chuckled and rubbed the back of my head, "Yeah."

I opened the pantry and grabbed a box of cereal. I poured it out into a bowl. 

"So what are you planning on doing today?" My mom asked. 

"I'm not sure. I think I'll go on another walk. It isn't raining today which is nice," I said. She nodded in agreement. I was hoping to see Armin again. 

I left the house around the same time as yesterday and headed towards the direction of the trail. It was overcast today. I entered the trail and it was more crowded today. Not incredibly but there were a few families and kids walking today. 

I walked looking around for a bright blonde head of hair. I didn't see him. I made it to the end of the trail which was about a mile long, but no Armin. I turned around and headed back. 

It seemed like a much longer walk on the way back. Probably because I knew I wouldn't see Armin. 

I headed left down the street past Levi's house where I saw someone with a long brown ponytail and a lab coat out getting the mail. 

"Are you Levi's roommate?" I asked. 

"Yes! You must be Eren! It's nice to meet you. My name is Hange Zoë but you can just call me Hange," They said. 

"Nice to meet you too," I replied. 

"If you're not doing anything would you like to come in for some tea. I could use the company," They said. 

"Sure I'd love too," I replied. We headed into the house. I took a seat at the kitchen table like yesterday while they prepared our drinks. 

They sat down at the end of the table and handed me my drink. I thanked them and took a sip. It was good. 

"Why are you here again?" Levi groaned as he entered the kitchen. 

"He was walking by and I decided to invite him in for some tea. You don't have to be so grumpy," Hange explained. 

"Alright but don't bother me I have some work to do," Levi said. 

"We won't," Hange assured. "Anyway back to you. What have you been up to? You're a high school student right?" 

"Yeah I'll be a senior next year."

"That's awesome. I was in highschool not too long ago. Now I'm a scientist at a lab for a pharmaceutical company." 

"That's cool. Have you always been into science?" 

"Yes I love it. I think there are so many possibilities and unknowns. It's all so exciting," Hange went on. 

I think it's adorable watching people talk about what they're passionate about so I listened intently. Hange went on for awhile and I listened to every detail. They even told me about their late dogs Sawney and Bean. 

I looked at my phone to notice that it'd been nearly an hour. 

"Thanks for listening to me. I appreciate it. I'm an only child so I never really had anyone to talk to when I was younger," They explained. 

"I understand. Thanks for telling me those stories they were very intriguing," I said genuinely. They smiled and gathered up the tea cups. 

As I was heading down the porch they waved goodbye. "If you ever need anything just stop by. I enjoy the company!" They said. 

"Thank you I will." 

I walked not too much further down the street back to my house. I didn't see Armin today but it was nice talking to Hange. Hopefully I could see them again. 

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I got a notification from snapchat.

Armin Added you as a friend! 

I opened it and added him back. I was still walking down the street when I texted him. 

Me: Hi, how'd you find my snap? 

Armin: Sorry I don't mean to look like a creep. I just noticed that you were on my quickadd. 

Me: That's cool. I was hoping to keep in touch w/ u anyway. 

Armin: Really? 

Me: Yea. I walked on the trail today hoping to c u but u weren't there. 

Armin: Sry I saw people on the trail and got nervous. 

Me: No worries. anyway ttyl

Armin: bye :) 

I smiled at my phone before entering the house. 

"Finally back?" My mother's voice echoed from the kitchen.

"Yeah," I said loud enough for her to hear. 

"What were you up to today?" She asked when I walked into the kitchen. 

"I met Levi's roommate and they invited me in for tea. Told me all about their job as a scientist at a pharmaceutical company. It was very interesting," I told her. 

"They seem sweet. I know Levi's a bit grumpy but I'm glad you have some people to chat with," She said. 

"Yeah." 

It wasn't until later that evening that I planned to meet up with Armin again. I didn't have many friends and I assumed he was like me. Maybe he wouldn't mind hanging out again. I texted him and got a quick response. 

I invited him to walk again on the trail. He agreed and we set a time. I smiled at my phone as I watched his little bitmoji pop up on the screen when he was typing. 

I finally set my phone down and went to sleep. For the first time in a while I had something to look forward to.


	2. a walk for strangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The big things—how we think, what we value—those you must choose yourself. You can’t let anyone—or any society—determine those for you.” -Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie

I eagerly got up the next morning. Of course mom and Mikasa were a bit put off by my sudden change in behavior but they didn’t seem to mind. There was a slight drizzle today and it wasn’t exactly warm. So I put on a zip up leaving the hoodie unzipped, revealing the graphic tee I was wearing. 

I waved hello to Levi who was reading a book on his porch. To my surprise he actually waved back and with a soft smile on his face. Looked like he was in a good mood today. 

There was a small bench just by the trail. I saw armin sitting there fiddling with his hands and tapping his foot. 

“Hey Armin!” I called out as I jogged over to him. He responded with a quiet “Hi.” 

We started for the trail and began a peaceful walk. “So how have you been?” I asked.

“Pretty well, and you?” 

“Good,” I replied. 

We weren’t too great at making conversation but of course we weren’t very close so we didn’t know what to talk about. I noticed Armin shivering a bit. He only had a long sleeved shirt on. 

“Cold?” I asked.

“A bit. It’s colder than I anticipated.” 

“Here take this,” I took off my jacket and handed it to him. 

“Oh you don’t have to do that. Won’t you be cold,” He said. 

“No I’m fine,” I insisted. 

He took it and put it on. It was a bit big on him and the sleeves hung over his hands. 

Cute. 

“I’ve never seen you around. Have you lived here long?” I asked. 

“Yeah my whole life. I was pretty nervous to be around people as a kid, so I never got out much,” He said. 

Hm. “Are you still nervous around people? Is that why you don’t go out unless there isn’t anyone around.” 

“Yeah, sorry.” 

“No need to apologize for something you can’t control. But if I may ask, are you nervous around me?” I asked out of curiosity. 

“Actually no. You have a calming and kind presence, so I’m comfortable around you,” He smiled. I smiled back. 

“I’m glad.” I wasn’t always great at making friends so the fact that I was a comfortable person for Armin to be around filled me with joy. 

I never believed that people could actually feel butterflies in their stomach but it’s true. Just glancing at Armin in my hoodie made my heart flip. This almost felt like a date. 

“You just have a t-shirt on aren’t you cold?” Armin asked me. 

“Nah I’m alright. Don’t worry about it I’m fine,” I assured him. He nodded. Today like the other day there were no people walking, perfect for Armin. I suspected that he had some kind of social anxiety, but I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by asking about it. 

“This is nice,” Armin said. 

“I agree.” 

Small conversations like that went back and forth like that for the majority of the walk. It was still pretty early in the afternoon when we got back, so I didn’t want to go home just yet. 

“Hey if you’re still free wanna hang out a bit longer. I have something fun to do,” I told him. 

“Okay. I’m free all day so that’s not an issue,” He replied. 

We walked a bit further through a muddy path that led out to a large lake. Considering how large it was you’d expect more people to hang out there, but rarely anyone was ever there. 

“This is a big lake,” Armin said. 

“Don’t worry nobody ever comes back here,” I told him after noticing his concern. I slid out an old canoe that was sitting behind a few bushes. 

“Are we going in there?” Armin puzzled. 

“Yeah. It’ll be fun I promise,” I assured. 

“Promise?”

“I promise.” 

I hopped in first before lending out my hand to Armin’s. He was hesitant but took my hand and stepped into the canoe. It rocked a bit as he placed his foot down and it surprised him. 

“You’re alright. This thing won’t tip over like kayaks,” I said. He nodded, gripping my hand tighter. His hand was slim but his touch was warm. It was bony but still comforting. 

Once we were both settled in I used the ore to push us off of the shore and into the lake. Once we were off the bank I began paddling. There were two ores but judging by Armin’s reactions, he’s never been in a canoe before, so I didn’t ask him to row. 

“I like to come out here by myself. If it’s hot out I’ll paddle out to the middle of the lake and jump in, or I’ll come here with my sister,” I told Armin. 

“You have a sister?” He asked. 

“Yeah. Her name is Mikasa. She’s really sweet.” 

“That’s cool. I’m an only child and I just live with my grandpa so it’s a bit lonely,” Armin explained. 

Maybe that’s why he seems to isolate himself. I thought to myself. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. I continued rowing until we reached about the center of the lake. I set the ore on my lap and let out a sigh. “Peaceful out here, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah I never realized how pretty it is out here,” Armin said. 

It was a gloomy day with a fog covering the edge of the lake. Vines hung low and trees sagged with the rain. A few bubbles could be seen coming from below in the lake. I assumed it was a fish. 

I turned around in my seat to face Armin. 

“Alright, let’s get to know each other,” I said. 

Armin let out a confused “huh?”

“Well we just met the other day and we should get to know each other better. I mean I already know that you’re a very caring person after you treated a random bird so carefully,” I stated. Armin blushed at the compliment. He looked down, avoiding eye contact. 

“I guess so. I’ve always liked animals. I have a cat at home and her name is Lio.”

“That’s a cool name. How’d you think of that?” I asked. He seemed to grow more comfortable the longer we hung out. He was even talking more. I contained my excitement by just letting out a small smile. 

“I was reading a book about the history of Greece and it’s language. Turns out the name Lio originated from the word lion and my cat has a yellowish color to her, so I figured I’d name her Lio.” He explained. He made little hand gestures when he talked, and would squint his eyes when he was thinking deeply. 

“Oh do you read a lot? I know it isn’t that same thing but I used to read about greek mythology all the time when I was younger. I forget about most of it now but it was always very intriguing.” 

“Yes I used to read about it too!” Armin exclaimed. 

We proceeded to discuss some of our favorite books. Turns out that Armin reads a lot. Me, not so much, but I did tell him about my favorite author, Mitch Albom. Tuesdays with Morrie was probably my favorite book. Not too long, but impactful nonetheless

The sky began to fade to a darker shade of grey. 

“We should probably head back now,” I announced as I spun back around in my seat, taking the ore in hand. I rowed us back to shore, hopping out and lending a hand out to Armin. His legs shook in the canoe back and forth before grabbing my hand and stepping out of the canoe, onto the muddy grass. 

“Thanks,” He said after letting go of my hand. 

“No problem,” I replied. I grabbed the end of the canoe and dragged it onto the grass and drug it through the mud into its spot behind a few bushes. “Alright, looks like we’re ready to go,” I said as I wiped my hands on my thighs. 

I forgot how cold it really was especially after the sun went down. The bitter wind hit my bare arms and I hissed at the feeling. 

“Oh I’m sorry here have your jacket back,” Armin frantically took off the hoodie he was wearing and handed it to me. I couldn’t refuse. I took it and slid my arms through the warm sleeves. The scent from Armin stuck onto my hoodie and I could smell the sweet smell of vanilla. 

I inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet scent. Next thing I knew I let out a loud sneeze. 

“Bless you,” Armin said. 

“Thanks,” I wiped my nose on my sleeve. 

Armin and I made our way back to the main road and walked down the street before parting ways. 

“See you later!” I waved as I headed down the street. Armin waved back with a smile before walking back. 

—

“How was your day,” My mother asked as she greeted me in the living room. 

“It was nice, I made a new friend. His name is Armin. We ran into each other the other day on our walk,” I explained. I usually kept things to myself but I liked to tell my mother about things that made me happy. 

“That’s lovely. I hope you two become good friends,” She added with a sweet smile. I smiled back just before letting out a nasty sneeze. 

“God bless you,” She said. “Are you feeling sick?” 

Now that I started to pay attention to how my body was feeling, my throat was sore and my nose was all stuffed. I nodded. 

“Oh boy. You had a jacket on. I wonder why you caught a cold,” She said. 

I didn’t feel like getting scolded, so I kept to myself the fact that I wore just a t-shirt for the majority of the day. 

“Go lay down and I’ll bring you some water,” She instructed. I went upstairs and got in bed. The sheets felt cool against my body, but the comforter added a comfortable warmth. I was pretty exhausted.

I picked up my phone and scrolled through twitter. A notification popped up and it was a snap from Armin. I quickly opened it to see a cute picture of him snuggled with his cat. I smiled down at my phone. 

“What are you smiling at?” Mikasa asked from the doorway. I jumped not knowing she was there. 

“Nothing,” I stammered. 

“You’ve been quiet lately. Are you dating someone?” She smirked. 

“No,” I wish. 

“Well anyway I hope you feel better. I’m gonna go work out. Feel better,” She said. 

“Thanks,” I replied. 

I looked back at my phone. The picture was still on the screen. Armin’s soft smile and his fluffy cat. I wanted to screenshot so bad, but I also didn’t want to freak him out. 

I replied with a picture of my face and messy hair. 

He replied and this time he wrote something in his picture too. 

You don’t look so good. Are you sick?

I started typing in the chat. 

Me: Yea but its j a little cold

Armin: Oh no. Is it because I took your jacket. I’m so sorry please forgive me. 

Me: No worries. It’s not your fault :))

Armin: I still feel bad.

Me: ik, but don’t sweat it

Armin: Ok. Feel better. 

Me: thx :)

I sighed and placed my phone on my chest. before my mother even came up to give me water, I had fallen asleep with the comforting scent of Armin lingering on my sweatshirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these chapters are a bit short. If they get to long they’re a bit overwhelming for me to edit all of them. Hope you enjoyed :)


	3. nap “date”

I lazily made my way downstairs. It was quiet compared to the usual stirring in the kitchen. I noticed a note left on the fridge. 

Eren,   
Mikasa and I are at the grocery store. If you need anything text me. Feel better 

Love, Mom 

I put the note down and headed towards the couch. I still didn’t feel great, but I had slept for nearly 14 hours last night, so I didn’t feel like going back to bed. Just as I was about to sit down I heard a knock at the door. 

I opened it to see a slim figure standing before me. It was bright outside, temporarily fogging my vision. When everything became clear again I could see that Armin was here. 

“Hi,” He said holding up a container with what appeared to be soup. “Sorry to come by unexpectedly. I just feel bad that you’re sick,” He explained. 

“No problem. Why don’t you come in,” I offered. 

“Oh I just came by to drop off some soup I don’t want to intrude,” He said. 

“Nobody is home if you’re worried about meeting new people. Please, I could use the company,” I smiled. 

“Alright,” He agreed. 

I invited him to sit on the couch and we got comfortable. 

“How’d you know how to find my house?” I asked, realizing that we’ve never been to each other’s homes. 

Armin seemed a bit ashamed, “Every night when you walk home I usually watch to make sure you get home okay,” He said. “Sorry if that sounds creepy or something.” 

“No, that’s very sweet of you. Just more evidence to show that you are a caring person,” I added, remembering the conversation we had yesterday. 

Knowing Armin cared about me made my stomach flutter. 

“Are you feeling any better?” Armin asked.

“A bit,” I replied honestly. 

“That’s good to hear.”

“I liked that picture of your cat you sent me. She’s really cute. I wish I could have a pet, but Mikasa is allergic,” I told him. 

“That’s too bad, but if you ever want to say hi to Lio, she loves attention,” He said. 

“Yeah that sounds fun,” I replied. I have quite the soft spot for animals so I looked forward to meeting Armin’s cat eventually. 

Armin let out a yawn causing me to yawn as well. I laid back further onto the couch, pulling up a blanket to my chin. 

“Tired?” Armin asked. I responded with a nod. “Yeah me too.” 

“You look tired,” I added, hoping not to come off as rude. He had dark bags under his eyes and he seemed a bit pale. I wonder if he had trouble sleeping. 

“Yeah, I haven’t slept much. My grandpa thinks it’s some sort of insomnia,” He explained. “It’s odd though because during the day I feel like I could fall asleep any second.” 

“So why don’t you?” I asked. Oh Shit. I hope that doesn’t come off as a stupid question. 

“Huh?” 

“If you feel that way now just take a nap. I don’t mind,” I tossed him a blanket that was resting atop the couch cushions. 

Armin caught the blanket and fiddled with it in his hands a bit. Honestly I could use a nap right now. So I hoped that he would take up my offer. When I first woke up I didn’t think I could sleep any longer. Yet here we are. 

Armin was too tired to refuse. He snuggled up in the blanket and was out like a light. I smiled at how peaceful he was. I was going to close my eyes for a bit myself, but there was something so calming about watching Armin. As his chest rose and fell as he took slow, steady breaths. 

I closed my eyes and felt myself drifting off to sleep. 

-

“We’re back,” Mom announced as her and Mikasa entered the house, I rubbed my eyes awake and peered up from the house. “Look at you sleepy head,” Mom walked over and ruffled my hair. “Oh who’s this?” She asked, noticing Armin fast asleep next to me. 

“This is Armin. He came over because I was sick and we just ended up falling asleep,” I laughed. She laughed along too. 

“Well that was very sweet of him. I’ll let you two be,” She smiled and headed back into the kitchen to help Mikasa unload all of the groceries. 

Armin must be a deep sleeper. Even with all the commotion and people running around he was still fast asleep. I pulled the blanket further up on Armin so it reached just past his shoulders. He stirred a bit and I froze, afraid that I woke him, but he just sighed and remained unconscious. 

I reached my arms up and leaned back, stretching after I’d been curled up for a while. I headed into the kitchen and offered help to Mikasa and Mom. 

“Did you invite your boyfriend over?” Mikasa smirked. My ears burned red. 

“No. He’s just my friend, and he showed up on his own,” I explained to her. She was always so nosey, but I know she means well. 

“No need to be so defensive, Mikasa is just asking a question,” Mom said in a soothing tone. 

“Sorry,” I replied to both of them. 

“He must be one deep sleeper if he can sleep through your bickering,” Mom laughed. 

“Said he has insomnia so he doesn’t get much rest at night. I feel pretty bad for him actually,” I said.

“Oh I’m sorry to hear that,” Mom was placing a new box of cereal in the cabinets which was the last of the groceries. 

I heard the leather couch moving from someone sitting on it. It appeared that Armin was awake now. I headed back into the living room where Armin was stretching. 

“Hi, did you sleep well?” I asked. He nodded in response and let out another yawn. He jumped and turned his head when he heard Mom and Mikasa in the kitchen. 

“They’re back,” He asked, eyebrows furrowed in a worried look. 

“Yeah but don’t worry they won’t bother us,” I assured him. “If you want we can head up to my room,” I offered. 

“Sure,” He replied. We got up and made our way upstairs. I walked down the hall to my room and opened the door, allowing Armin to enter first. 

Armin looked around the room. Checking out everything. From the posters on my wall, the TV and video games and even the empty soda cans littered across the floor. It was fairly neat, but also unorganized. I usually called it an organized mess. 

“Wanna play?” I held up a controller. 

“Yeah!” Armin exclaimed. 

It’d been a while since I had a friend over to play video games. Not since grade school but this was fun. Armin and I created our own Minecraft world. He’s really good. He told me he plays pretty often. 

We exchanged users so we could play together later. 

Hours had passed of us stuck in our own little bubble. We had created quite a nice house for the two of us with two pet wolves named Bip and Cat. 

Armin belly laughed for a while when he saw that I named my dog “Cat.” It made me smile seeing him laugh so hard. 

I heard a knock on my door. Judging by the sound it was my mother. She had a soft, polite knock compared to Mikasa’s which was more firm and demanding. 

“Yeah, Mom?” I hollered loud enough for her to hear. She opened the door and entered. It was the first time she’d actually seen Armin when he was awake. 

“You boys have been playing for a while, why don’t you take a break and have some dinner. Armin can join us,” She told us. 

“Is that okay?” I asked Armin, wanting his approval before speaking for the both of us. He gave me a quick nod. “Yeah we’ll be down in a minute,” I said. 

I turned off the game and placed our controllers back in their chargers. I walked down the stairs, Armin following behind. 

I headed into the kitchen where Mom was grabbing her homemade macaroni and cheese out of the oven. It smelled delicious. She neatly placed it down while slipping off her oven mitts. 

Armin seemed a bit nervous. I could tell by the way his arms were stiff towards his sides. I put my palm on his shoulder. He turned towards me and I gave him a reassuring nod to let him know he’d be alright. 

My mother is a sweetheart and I know she’d love Armin if she got to know him. Armin was a bit quiet though, so I’m not going to pressure him to speak. Lucky for him, I’m a talker. 

“It smells great,” I said, taking a big breath through my nose. 

“Thank you. I hope you like it,” Mom replied with a kind smile. 

“I’ve never had homemade mac n cheese like this. It looks amazing,” Armin added. My eyes widened at his words, surprised that he talked so much. 

“I think you’ll like it, Armin,” My mom added. Armin gave her a gentle smile back. 

We finished dinner making small talk here and there. To my surprise Armin talked quite a bit with my Mom. They seemed to have a nice connection. 

It was summer and the days were long so by the time that Armin needed to go home, it was still fairly light out. 

We walked down the street, past Levi and Hange’s place all the way to Armin’s house which sat at the very end of a cult-de-sac. From the front window you could see the faint image of a tv through slim curtains that halfway covered the big window. On the windowsill nook sat a medium sized tan colored cat, sleeping peacefully on top of a thick blanket. 

“That’s Lio. She sleeps all the time,” Armin chuckled. 

“She’s pretty,” I said, acknowledging the darker stripes that crossed her fur. 

I walked Armin up to his front door where he entered and I heard the TV click off. 

“Armin! You’re finally back, buddy,” I heard an old voice say. Must be his grandfather. 

Before I could walk away Armin introduced me. 

“This is my friend, Eren who I’ve been hanging out with,” Armin explained. 

Before me stood an older man with a bushy grey beard and a kind smile. 

“Nice to meet you, Sir,” I replied. 

“No need to be formal. Armin hasn’t brought a friend over in a while. Call me grandpa, I don’t mind,” He added with a chuckle. 

I wasn’t sure about calling him grandpa considering the fact that I just met him, but he seemed excited to meet a friend of Armin’s, so I didn’t mind. 

“Alright I’ll see ya later, Armin. Have a good night,” I waved goodbye. 

“Bye Eren!” Armin waved and gingerly closed the door. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and began the walk home down the dimly lit street. 

As I headed back to my house I noticed an extra car parked in the driveway. I didn’t recognize it. It was a slick black colored BMW with black leather seats. Looked nice. Whoever owned that must be pretty wealthy. 

Puzzled, I walked in the door to see none other than Mikasa’s boyfriend, Jean Kirstein. We never got along too well, but he was a nice guy and Mikasa was happy. 

The two of them were cuddled on the couch watching a movie. I didn’t have any interest in bothering them, so I just headed upstairs to my room.

I sighed into my pillow, laying on my stomach on my bed. I was exhausted. My throat was still sore because I still hadn’t completely recovered from my cold. 

My phone buzzed. Longer than usual telling me that it was a call and not a text. 

Without checking to see who it was I answered. 

“Hello?” I groaned. 

“Hi, Eren, sorry to bother you-” Before they could finish I cut them off. 

“No worries, Armin. What’s up,” I asked. 

“No much I just wanted a distractio- I just wanted to talk to someone,” He stumbled over his words. 

I chuckled, “No worries,” I said. 

We just chatted about random things until my eyes felt heavy. I felt bad hanging up on Armin, but I just couldn’t stay awake. I apologized and he didn’t mind. We’d talked for nearly 3 hours 

I clicked the button to hang up and immediately knocked out and fell asleep. 

I woke up sometime in the middle of the night. Mikasa’s bed was creaking. I could hear muffled moans through the walls.

Good lord. 

I groaned and smacked a pillow over my face to get rid of the sound. It didn’t stop. I smacked my pillow against the wall to tell them to shut up. They seemed to get the message and it grew quiet. Either that or they both finished. Either way I didn’t care. As long as they shut up. 

Mikasa sure is lucky that Mom’s room is on the other side of the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies. This took way longer than it should’ve to update but I promise I’m still working on this story and looking forward to writing the rest of it.


End file.
